Changes At Hand
by Projectrain
Summary: Ash only wanted to compete in the Uneva league and then continue on his journey. He never would have expected fate to twist his world so quickly with Pikachu invovled.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Pokémon

**Chapter 1**

Ash Ketchum sighed to himself. In a few days he would be competing in the Unova League in this very town. He didn't really know what to make of it. It only seemed like yesterday where he'd dreamt of one day achieving status as one of the best Pokémon master's out there and now it would seem like his dream was drawing ever closer. He looked outside the window of the motel he and his friend would be staying in for the duration of the League, Iris and Cilan were in their own respective rooms. It was late at night. He thought about his longtime friend and companion Pikachu. Where he would meet and part ways with friends Pikachu stayed. He remembered those days with Misty and May, both of which advised him to put Pikachu in a pokeball but he would always refuse. Although he cared about all his Pokémon, Pikachu had a special place in his heart. They have been through so much for Ash not to think of their relationship as anything else but true friendship. He left the little guy in the back yard of the motel because Pikachu refused to come inside. "Probably because of all the girls after him" Ash thought amusedly, girls seemed to love the little fur ball and rightfully so, Pikachu was too cute for its own good it seemed. He didn't worry about Pikachu getting kidnapped because it wasn't the only Pokémon in the yard and if the likes of Team Rocket wanted to try their luck then they were in for a rude awakening.

"Wonder what Pikachu's up too this late?" Ash thought amusedly. He wasn't going to delude himself into thinking Pikachu was sleeping right now. He was most probably playing with the other Pokémon that Ash released from their balls earlier.

Pikachu wasn't in the back yard as Ash predicted however and was heading deep into a forest that was nearby the motel. It actually did start off as Pikachu playing with all the other Pokémon at first but then Pikachu heard a noise that no other Pokémon there did. It felt like something was calling out to Pikachu and so the journey to discover the anomaly began. Pikachu entered a clearing in the forest and saw a surprising sight. It was a little girl with long platinum blonde hair and a beautiful face but she wasn't wearing anything. She looked no older than 4 or 5. She was sleeping but also crying and speaking a language that Pikachu didn't know and her crying made her words muffled and difficult to understand. The ground around the girl looked like it was scorched from all the black grass and the smell of smoke being emitted there. Pikachu didn't know what to do first, help the girl now or run for help? Then the noise from earlier came again. A sphere of white light suddenly rose from behind the child and before Pikachu could think about it the sphere of light shot straight at Pikachu. Pikachu wasn't even allowed time to panic before everything went white.

"Mommy... Mommy!" came the voice of a frightened little girl.

Pikachu opened its eyes slowly and sleepily. It felt as if its head was being attacked by a thousand onyxs.

"Mommy!" the girl called again.

"Mo-mmy?" Pikachu rasped in a feminine voice then its eyes shot open. It wasn't supposed to be able to speak English.

The girl gasped and then hugged Pikachu screaming "Mommy!" happily.

Pikachu got up into a sitting position with the girl still clinging to it and realized that the ground seemed much further than before. Pikachu's head was spinning. What happened? All it could remember was a blinding light and then darkness. Pikachu looked down intending on getting a glimpse of the girl but got a surprise instead. All its fur was gone and in its place was human pale skin. Pikachu took notice of all its differences. It had human parts! It had two hands with fingers instead of paws, two feet with tows, and these two mounds on its chest that it noticed looked similar to the ones all the girls Ash met liked to cover. What the heck was this? Then it noticed a few strands of blonde her in front of its face and its hand shot up to its head. It felt soft and smooth material and immediately realized that it was hair on its head. Pikachu was having something close to a panic attack now. This couldn't be happening! How on earth did it turn into a female human? Pikachu had never really focused on its gender when it was a Pokémon because there was no need to, all Pokémon where treated equally. Professor Oak did refer to it as a female once but that was the end of that, he never told anyone else. Ash most probably still thought of it as a male which would be understandable considering male and female Pokémon looked alike.

"Mommy are you ok?" spoke the girl and Pikachu was reminded of another problem.

"He-llo" Pikachu said with difficulty and concentration, deciding to test out her new tongue.

The girl gave her a confused look then said "Mommy you don't sound good."

Pikachu had to keep calm. She needed to figure out what exactly was going on around here and having the girl cry over her wasn't going to help " I'm fine" she said a lot more clearly.

The girl brightened at this then asked "What happened Mommy? I can't remember."

Why did she keep calling her Mommy? Pikachu voiced this out "Why do you keep calling me Mommy?" Pikachu asked adjusting to her knew vocal cords.

The girl gave her another confused look then replied" Because you're my Mommy" the girl said.

Ok this was going nowhere and Pikachu knew it. Then they both heard church bells in the distance meaning it was most probably noon and Ash was probably searching for her.

"What is that?" the girl asked indicating to the noise of the bells but Pikachu wasn't listening.

She was worried now. She couldn't be seen like this, especially considering the fact humans didn't walk around naked. She needed to find clothes for the girl and herself then make her way back to Ash. She was lucky no one had discovered them yet or at least that's what she hoped.

"Mommy" the girl cut through her thoughts with a frown.

"I need to look for some clothes then I'll be right back. You need to hide so I can go ok?" Pikachu said.

The girl frowned again but nodded and hid in some bushes. Pikachu was unsure if her new body would respond to her in the way her old body did. She got up shakily on two legs. They felt very weak and she did topple over a few times but she was determined to see this through. She was used to walking on all fours but she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself by walking on her hands and knees in town. Pikachu got up and started taking steps to adjust to her knew body weight and equilibrium. It started off shakily at first but she was soon getting the hang of things. She could see the girl in the bushes keeping an eye on her and wincing every time she tumbled or fell. She gradually progressed until she could walk acceptably. From there she told the girl to keep hidden so as not to be discovered then left the scene. Pikachu made her way back to town carefully so she wouldn't trip on her feet or be discovered. Ok she needed to get clothes and the only place for that was "Aster's Clothing line". She needed to do this carefully so she hid in the bushes when she saw she was nearing her destination. She looked around to make sure no one was around the area. When it was clear she quickly made her way to the back entrance of the store. She knew exactly where to go because Iris took her here yesterday to shop for clothes, they were all for Iris. She snuck into the shop through the back entrance and quickly took two of the nearest dresses she was sure would fit her and her supposed daughter. She went into one of the changing rooms then tried the dress and it fit her perfectly in one go, Iris would be proud. Then she remembered she needed money for the two dresses and sighed. She made her to the front desk and saw the guy that was flirting with Iris yesterday, although Iris looked uninterested throughout the encounter. She didn't know what she was going to say but she couldn't stop walking. The guy noticed her and had an awestruck look as soon as he got a good look at her.

"Why hello Miss, Can I help you?" He said with a flirtatious grin.

"I-took these clothes- and no money- and Iris" Pikachu babbled.

"Wait you're a friend of Iris?" he asked shock.

Pikachu just nodded and shifted nervously.

"Then I'll give you the dresses for free if you put in a good word for me." The guy said with hope in his eyes, he must really like Iris.

Pikachu vehemently nodded to that with a surprised look on her face.

"Then I thank you for shopping at Aster's and enjoy your day." He grinned at her.

Pikachu made her way back into the forest and found the little girl hiding behind the same bush. When the little girl noticed her she ran to Pikachu shouting "Mommy" then hugged her.

Pikachu smiled down at her. The girl was very cute with that innocent face and those big brown eyes.

"I got you a dress." Pikachu said revealing the dress.

The girl looked confusedly at it and Pikachu had to assist her in putting it on. Pikachu then straightened the girl's hair and wiped her face using her saliva earning a disgusted face from the girl.

"You look pretty" Pikachu said after giving her a once over.

"Thank you Mommy" the girl smiled at her and Pikachu smiled back.

Pikachu hadn't forgetting the situation at hand however. She needed to figure out what's really going on here and who this girl was but she needed to find Ash first. How will he take in her new appearance? Will her new look scare him away? All these question were racing through her mind she was a bit worried but Pikachu did know one thing. Ash was going to have a field day with this.


	2. Chapter 2

` **CHAPTER 2**

Ash was not having a good day. He woke up to the complaints of the caretaker of the motel stating that he's Pokémon made a ruckus throughout the night but Ash wasn't really surprised, when they weren't sleeping they caused noise everywhere on his journey. When he went to the back yard to collect them they all jumped him with hysterically speeches. Ash didn't understand Pokémon language but being with them for so long had given him something of a sixth sense and immediately he knew something was wrong. He looked among them for that all too familiar yellow but could not locate Pikachu and that was sending red flags to Ash's psyche.

"Guys calm down! Where's Pikachu?" he asked.

They paused when he told them to calm down but as soon as Pikachu left his mouth they started up again.

"**This is getting nowhere**" As thought. He had to go with the notion that Pikachu had somehow gone missing. Was he kidnapped? Ash mentally kicked himself for being so careless. What kind of a friend was he to be so arrogant and leave his Pokémon in the open so readily? If Team Rocket had somehow captured Pikachu then they already had a good head start. Ash at this moment felt guilty.

"Ash what's taking you so long?" Iris asked coming into the back yard. She and Cilan had been waiting at the front of the motel for him but he never showed so she went looking for him.

"Pikachu's missing." was all he said not looking at her.

"How?" she asked surprised yet worried.

"I don't know but we need to start looking for him quickly" he said with determination.

Ash returned all his Pokémon and set off with Iris to the front lobby where Cilan was waiting for them. Cilan noticed them and then gave them a wave.

"What took you guys so long?" Cilan asked curiously.

"Pikachu's gone missing and we need to go find him." Ash said.

"Oh I see. Should we split up?" Cilan asked.

"That's a great idea then we can meet up back here" Iris put in.

"Alright you guys search that side and I'll look this way." Ash said indicating the directions with his hand.

"You sure you want to go alone?" Iris asked with worry evident in her eyes and something else but Ash could decipher it.

"It's alright guys I'll be fine!" he said as he flashed them a grin.

"Well Ok then." Iris said and from what Ash could tell she was a bit disappointed but he didn't know why.

They set off in their respective directions to search for Pikachu. Ash couldn't help but worry. What if Pikachu's was being tortured or worse? He couldn't help but blame himself for this, if he had just forced Pikachu into the motel then all this trouble could have been avoided. The Uneva League was fast approaching and Ash needed to train his Pokémon but that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He decided to distract himself for a while and decided to focus on Iris. She had been acting very weirdly these last few days. She would always ask his opinion on her clothing, try to be as close to him as possible to the point where he'd feel claustrophobic, she would even get upset when Ash talked to one of his female fans and yes he had some although they were very few. Ash wasn't as naïve as people made him out to be. Iris was a close friend so it would be pretty easy to see her little hints. Did she like him in a way that conveyed more than friendship? Ash never thought too much about relationships either then friendship because that just wasn't his thing. When he was with Misty, May and even Dawn he never thought too much about the prospect of seeking their affections. All his female companions were beautiful but Ash was more focused on achieving his dream of Pokémon mastery. He liked Iris a lot but not enough to change his views on his relationships with the opposite sex.

"**Okay enough distractions.** " Ash thought and set to looking for his best friend.

He walked through town searching high and low but he was coming up with nothing. He asked as many people as he could but they didn't have any information to where his Pokémon could possibly be. He was getting frustrated now. How could an entire town not have seen a bright yellow Pokémon around this place? He was running out of options and hope. This was getting ridiculous to say the least. The only place he hadn't looked through was the forest near the motel but he doubted Pikachu could be in there. He stopped suddenly and hit his head. He was such an idiot! Why didn't he search there before? If Team Rocket had Pikachu then that was the best place for them to hide from anyone. Ash broke into a sprint heading back in the direction of the motel where the forest would be. He needed to move quickly. He just hoped his hunch was right and he wasn't too late.

Ash arrived at the forest exhausted but determined to find his buddy. He made his way through the forest looking everywhere he could to at least get a glimpse of a clue. He kept on walking deeper and deeper into the forest with a bad feeling. Something was definitely wrong here and the further Ash went the worse the feeling got. Then he smelled something. Was that burnt grass? Was there a fire? Ash looked around but saw no smoke. He carried on more stealthily. He neared a clearing and then heard voices. Ash kept himself hidden when he was at the clearing and saw where and who the voices were coming from. It was a little girl in the lap of a bigger girl who seemed to be cradling and speaking soothingly to the little one. The sight was very touching and Ash didn't have the heart to interrupt so he settled for getting a good look at the two. The little girl had beautiful light blonde hair, an adorable face and she was wearing a pink dress. Ash figured she must be at least three to four years old. Ash was sure the older girl looked about his age. She had bright long yellow blonde hair, beautiful brown eyes and she was wearing a bright yellow dress that matched her hair color. Ash could admit it to himself that the older girl was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes on. She seemed so careful and gentle with the little child that Ash thought that they were most probably sisters.

"**Don't forget Pikachu.**" His mind reminded and Ash had to reluctantly disturb the peaceful moment.

"Excuse me Miss, I don't mean to bother you but I'm searching for a friend of mind and I could really use your help." Ash said in one go while coming out of his hiding place.

The older girl looked at Ash wearily at first but then gasped and her look of weary turned to that of surprise and relief? She put the little child down on the grass gently so as not to disturb her semi-conscious state and then stood up from her sitting position. She then looked at Ash with relief and before he could call her out on it he was promptly tackled by the girl while she screamed his name. Ash didn't know what to make of all this but one thing was for sure. His day had suddenly got very interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm not sure if I'm heading in the right direction with this story so please read and review. I have to know if you guys approve of the plot. I do not own Pokémon.

**Chapter 3**

Ash has had his fair share in surprising people with his unpredictable battle strategies and his never give up cheerful demeanor but right now the only thing he felt was absolute confusion. He was being hugged by a pretty girl and although he was used to it from his fans this girl struck him as peculiar. Whereas all his fans greeted him with adoration this girl greeted him with familiarity, Ash couldn't really tell the difference between the two since he was just going with a feeling. Now here he was on the ground with the girl sobbing on his chest. He didn't know what to do. Misty often told him that on some occasions he could say the worst thing at the worst time and he didn't want this time to be one of them.

"**Think of something!** " he thought franticly for anything that could calm her down.

"Uhh hey don't cry. It's ok." he consoled confusedly as he patted her back.

"Don't hurt Mommy!" cried a little voice.

Ash looked through the mop of bright blonde hair to see the little girl had awaken from her half sleep and was standing a few feet away with her body shaking. She looked frightened Ash noted. He also noticed that she was upset and looked ready to attack him despite her apparent fear. Then the girl that was hugging him got up quickly and fixed a soft gaze to the little child.

"It's ok little one. He is a friend of mine." The girl hugging him replied softly. That seemed to have the intended effect on the little child as she calmed down considerably but still kept her eyes on him. Then the woman looked at Ash, got up and then spoke.

"Ash I mist you so much." the girl said and Ash had that bad feeling again.

Did he know her? From the way she was speaking he should but Ash never forgot faces entirely and he's pretty sure that it was the first time that they ever met so he decided to voice this out before he started getting paranoid.

"Uhhh have we met before?" Ash asked and then scratched the back of his head.

She gave him a look of hurt then a look of understanding and finally a look of nervousness. Ash wasn't sure why she should be nervous when talking to him. He didn't bite did he?

"Well uhm" the girl shifted nervously but Ash didn't have time to waste on getting to know people.

"Listen I'm sorry but I'm looking for a Pikachu that could have gone through this woods. Have you seen any?" he asked.

Ash had to think of the possibility that he said something wrong because the girl got more nervous and looked away from him. Ash was going to ask what the problem was when he heard her mumble something.

"Huh?" he replied lamely, he didn't hear anything.

The girl looked at him again and then the ground. She then took a deep breath and said "It's me Ash."

What the heck was that supposed to mean? Things were getting more confusing with each minute passing by and Ash had to wonder if this was a way of fate keeping him busy while it did whatever it wanted to Pikachu. Ash decided if it was for the good of Pikachu then he should leave immediately and not waste time trying to figure out this weird situation.

"I'm sorry but Pikachu's in trouble and I can't stay here." He replied quickly attempting to be on his way but the girl blocked him and had a determined look now.

"Ash it's me, Pikachu." She said eyeing his reaction.

Was she joking? Ash wanted to laugh and play off what she said as his mind playing tricks on him but the way she was looking at him made it difficult for him to label what she said as a mistake.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked confused.

"I'm Pikachu Ash." Pikachu said.

"How can you be Pikachu? You're a girl!" Ash cried out.

A tick mark appeared on Pikachu's forehead. She wondered for a brief moment if that was a sexist remark but this was Ash of all people, he didn't know that she was a female Pokémon during their time together so she can see where his confusion would fit in.

"Ash I've always been a girl." she said evenly.

Ash had to pause and think about this. He mentally kicked himself when he realized what he said earlier probably sounded sexist, he always treated everyone equally and didn't demean anyone. He had a lot of questions now though.

"The Pikachu I'm looking for isn't human." He replied more carefully. A lot of people in this world were named after Pokémon so she must be one of them.

"Ash I'm your Pikachu." She replied

"If you're really my Pikachu then why are you human? How can you speak English? Who's that girl with you?" Ash was a kind person but this woman was wasting his time and he didn't like that.

"Please Ash you have to believe me. All I remember is hearing a voice in the back yard of that motel we're staying at then I followed it into this forest the I found this little girl and this this white light blinded me. That's all I remember." She said pleadingly. She did not want to lose Ash, without him what purpose will she have?

Ash's mind was racing a mile a minute right now and he was struggling to focus on one aspect at a time. She knew exactly where Pikachu was last night. How could she know that? Ash wanted to think of her as Pikachu's kidnapper but he couldn't, she looked like she couldn't hurt a fly unless if it could harm her loved once. Could she really be telling the truth? He looked at her face and saw how serious she was and then it hit him. She was! She may be different but Ash knew that serious look anywhere, it's the same look Pikachu used during Pokémon battles and when dealing with powerful enemies. Ash finally accepted the prospect of this girl being Pikachu and did what most would, faint.

Pikachu looked at Ash's unconscious form and sighed. It could've been worse at least he was still around and didn't make a run for it instead.

"Is he dead Mommy?" the girl asked poking her head from behind Pikachu.

"No he's just fainted" said Pikachu then she realized something.

"Do you have a name little one?" Pikachu asked the girl and only got a helpless shrug as a reply.

"Uhhh how about Natalie?" Pikachu suggested. She always wanted to name things but being a Pokémon made it very hard. Judging by the girl's head nodding franticly Pikachu knew she made the right decision.

"Ok Natalie, we just need to wait until Ash wakes up ok?" Pikachu said and got a nod in response from the girl behind her.

"He's weird" Natalie said after a while and for the first time since this whole mess started Pikachu actually giggled.


End file.
